Implement for transferring pigments



M r 1969 KARL-HEINZ STIEI.

IMPLEMENT FOR TRANSFERRING PIGMENTS Filed Sept. 28. 1966 FIG. 5

FIG. 3

FIG.1 FIG. 2

FIG. 4

I III- I II INVENTOR- Mz r/vVR/nz f/ie l United States Patent O3,432,874 IMPLEMENT FOR TRANSFERRING PIGMENTS Karl-Heinz Stiel,Hannover, Germany, assignor to Gunther Wagner Pelikan-Werke, Hannover,Germany Filed Sept. 28, 1966, Ser. No. 583,127 Claims priority,application Germany, Sept. 30, 1965,

W 4,011/ 65 US. Cl. 15-145 Int. Cl. A46b 5/02, 11/00 2 Claims ABSTRACTOF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention relates to an implement fortransferring pigments. More specifically, the invention relates to anartists brush.

'In implements for transferring pigments, and particu larly but by nomeans exclusively in artists brushes, it is desirable to keep pigment onthe transfer-portion of the implement, that is in brushes on thebristles, from drying out. It becomes very diflicult to remove dried-onpigment from the bristles and may even result in destruction of thebristles since, on removing the dried-on pigment, tearing-out ortearing-off of the bristles often cannot be avoided.

For this reason it is customary to place the brush, or at least thebristles, in a body of a liquid which is capable of preventing thepigment from drying. Such liquid may be either water if the pigment iswater-soluble, or it may be a suitable paint thinner if the pigment isnot water-soluble. Some brushes will not float on such liquid and it isthen necessary to provide a device which can be hooked to the containerin which the liquid is dis posed which prevents the brush from fallinginto the liquid and only lets a portion of the brush including thebristles dip into the body of liquid. Most brushes, however, will floaton the surface of the liquid. The problem with these brushes resides inthe fact that they Will float on the surface, that is horizontally, sothat only a very few of the bristles are submerged in the liquid andthus guarded against drying-out of the pigment. Furthermore, and even ifthis disadvantage is accepted, it is necessary under these circumstancesto provide a container having a cross-section which is so large that thebrush can float freely on the surface of the liquid without bending ofthe bristles. Obviously, if the container is not at least as wide incross-section as the brush is long seen from one end to the other andincluding the bristles, the latter will be bent by contact with the wallof the container and eventually such bending results in permanentdeformation of the bristles. This then makes the brush unusable.

Taking all of these disadvantages of the prior art into account, it is ageneral object of the present invention to provide an implement fortransferring pigments which is not subject to such drawbacks.

It is a more specific object of the invention to provide particularly anartists brush which is capable of floating in a body of liquid with atleast its bristles submerged therein.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a brush whichfloats substantially vertically in a body of liquid into which it isplaced.

In accordance with these objects and others which will become apparenthereafter, one feature of my invention resides in the provision of animplement for transferring pigments, particularly an artists brush,which comprises an elongated buoyant handle having an end, andpigment-transfer means extending from this end. Furthermore, theimplement comprises means which define-s in the region of the endportion a center of gravity for the implement. In accordance with theinvention the relationship between the buoyancy of the handle and thelocation of the center of gravity is so selected that, when theimplement is placed into a body of liquid, the pigment-transfer meanswill submerge below the surface of the liquid and at least a substantialpart of the handle will rise above the surface and be upwardly inclinedrelative to the same.

This is made possible by making the handle buoyant, as has already beenindicated, either by making it hollow and entrapping air therein or byusing a naturally buoyant material such as wood. By arranging the centerof gravity so that it is located in the region of the end from which thepigment-transfer means, that is in the case of a brush the bristles,extends and by selecting the relationship between the buoyancy of thehandle and the precise location of the center of gravity in such amanner that the center of gravity counteracts to some extent thebuoyancy of the handle, the implement can be made to float vertically orsubstantially vertically in a body of liquid. Of course, it is necessaryto select the location of the center of gravity in such a manner thatonly a front portion of the handle, together with the pigment-transfermeans, will be submerged in the liquid since it is obviously notdesirable to have the rear portion of the handle, which must later begripped by the person using the implement, coated with the liquid.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for theinvention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. Theinvention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method ofoperation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, willbe best understood from the following description of specificembodiments when read in connection with the accom panying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a partially sectioned top-plan view of an implement inaccordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partly sectioned fragmentary view of an implement embodyingthe present invention, but showing a diiferent embodiment;

FIG. 3 is similar to FIG. 2 but again shows another embodiment;

FIG. 4 is similar to FIGS. 2 and 3 and also shows a further embodiment;and

FIG. 5 is similar to FIG. 1, showing yet a further embodiment of theinvention.

It is to be noted that in all of the figures the pigmenttransfer means,that is in the various illustrated embodiments the bristles, isdesignated with reference numeral 1, whereas the handle is alwaysdesignated with reference numeral 2. Other reference numerals varybetween the different embodiments.

Discussing now the drawing in detail, and firstly FIG. 1 thereof, itwill be seen that the pigment-transfer means, which for the sake ofconvenience Will hereafter be referred to as the bristles, is designatedwith reference numeral 1 and is held in a metal or plastic sleeve 3which constitutes a continuation of the hollow handle 2. In theembodiment of FIG. 1 the sleeve 3 is provided at its free end with aninternal thread 4 whereas the front end portion of the hollow handle 2is provided with an external thread 5 which meshes with the internalthread 4. The handle 2 may consist of a suitable synthetic plasticmaterial, may for instance be constructed by blow mold- In accordancewith the invention a weight 6 is provided in the sleeve 3 directlybehind the bristles 1 and it is this weight 6 which determines thecenter of gravity of the entire brush. It will be noted that the sleeve3 conically tapers towards its front, that is in the direction towardthe bristles 1 and the Weight 6 is simply pressed from the rear into thesleeve 3 so as to be immovably seated therein. Reference numeral 7indicates the forward end of the sleeve 3 at which the bristles areclamped in the sleeve 3.

As indicated earlier, a brush constructed in accordance with theembodiment of FIG. 1 will, when placed into a body of liquid, have atendency to fioat because of the buoyancy of the handle. However,because of the forwardly located center of gravity of the brush, definedby the weight 6, the same will tilt in the liquid so that the bristles 1and a forward portion of the brush, for instance the sleeve 3, will besubmerged in the liquid whereas the remainder of the handle will extendupwardly above the liquid, forming therewith an angle of up to 90degrees.

The embodiment of FIG. 2 differs from that of FIG. 1 in that the sleevehere is indicated with reference numeral 8 and is suitably secured bypressing, gluing or in another manner, in a cylindrically configuratedfront portion of the sleeve of the handle 2. A weight 10 is securedimmediately behind the sleeve 8 but Within the front portion of thehandle 2 and it will be understood that the Weight 10' can be secured tothe sleeve 8 by screwing, by soldering, by adhesive means or by someother suitable expedient, this particular consideration forming no partof the invention. The result of this construction is the same as in FIG.1 in that the center of gravity is determined by the weight 10 and thebrush is again caused to float in the body of liquid with its bristles 1submerged therein.

In the embodiment of FIG. 3 the sleeve is again identified withreference numeral 8 and conforms to that shown in FIG. 2. However, theweight is here located within the sleeve 8, rather than rearwardlythereof within the handle 2 as shown in FIG. 2. In FIG. 3 the weight isidentified with reference numeral 11 and it will be seen that this mayconsist of two spherical members although the configuration is of courselimited only by the space 7b available within the sleeve 8. In-turnedflanges or suitable similar expedients 7a confine the weights 11 withinthe sleeve 8.

FIG. 4 shows an embodiment which differs from those illustratedherebefore. The hollow sleeve 2 is here shown to be provided with amassive front portion 12, which may consist of plastic material, andwhich is suitably secured to the front end of the hollow handle 2 bywelding, adhesive securing, frictional securing or the like. The frontend of the member 12 is provided with a recess 13, preferably ofcylindrical configuration, in which the bristles 1 are secured, forinstance by means of an adhesive. Obviously, the fact that member 12 ismassive, rather than being hollow, whereas the handle 2 itself is hollow'as in all the other embodiments, makes the front portion of theresulting brush heavier and thus locates the center of gravity at thisone portion. Again, the brush will float upright or substantiallyupright in a body of liquid.

It should be pointed out, before passing on to FIG. 5, that theembodiments shown in FIGS. 1-4 can of course be combined in a suitablemanner, if this is desired, and any possible combination of theseembodiments is also desired to be encompassed by the protection sought.

Coming now to FIG. 5, it will be seen that the handle 2' shown thereinis not hollow, but rather is solid. It is, however, buoyant and for thispurpose consists of a material capable of floating on a body of liquid.For instance, such material may be wood or plastic. It is provided atits front end with a screw thread 14 which can be formed directly on thehandle 2 or which can be formed in a metal or plastic sleeve which isthen secured to the front end of handle 2. A solid member 15 is providedwith a recess complementary to the front end of handle 2' and providedwith an internal screw thread which meshes with the screw thread 14 sothat the member 15 can be secured to the handle 2'. The front end ofmember 15 is provided with another recess in which the bristles 1 aresecured, either directly or through the intermediary of a sleeve 8. Themassive member 15 provides the forwardly located center of gravitynecessary in accordance with the present invention.

It should be understood, of course, that the embodiments shown hereinrepresent only a small number of the considerable variety of possiblesolutions.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or twoor more together, may also find a useful application in other types ofan implement for transferring pigments differing from the typesdescribed above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied inimplements for transferring pigments, it is not intended to be limitedto the details shown, since various modifications and structural changesmay be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the presentinvention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist ofthe present invention that others can by applying current knowledgereadily adapt it for various applications without omitting featuresthat, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essentialcharacteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention andtherefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehendedwithin the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. An implement for transferring pigments, particularly an artistsbrush, comprising an elongated buoyant hollow handle having a mainportion and a screwthreaded end portion, pigment transfer meansextending from said end portion; screw-threaded holder means threadedlyjoining said pigment transfer means to said end portion and beingprovided with a recess tapering in cross-sectional area away from saidmain portion toward said pigment-transfer means; and weighting meanslocated in said recess and frictionally seated therein, said weightingmeans defining in the region of said end portion a center of gravity forsaid implement, the relationship between the buoyancy of said handle andthe location of the center of gravity being so selected that, when saidimplement is placed into a body of liquid, said pigment-transfer meanswill submerge below the surface of the liquid and at least a substantialpart of said handle will rise above said surface and be upwardlyinclined relative to the latter.

2. An implement as defined in claim 1, wherein said weighting meanscomprises at least one Weight.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,05 4,709 3 /19 13 Munro 15-143FOREIGN PATENTS 697,849 11/1964 Canada. 5 88,092 4/ 1925 France.1,170,691 9/1958 France.

534,467 9/ 1931 Germany. 559,514- 9/ 1932 Germany. 679,567 8/ 1939Germany. 495,686 11/1938 Great Britain. 149,390 1/1961 U.S.S.R.

DANIEL BLUM, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 1 5-160

